The style of three-quarter length ‘cuirassier’ armour seen in many English seventeenth-century portraits was a direct descendant of the armour worn by medieval knights on horseback, and as such it evoked ideals of chivalry and virtue. Such armour was named after the ‘cuirassier’ – highly paid cavalry, historically drawn from the noble classes. The multiple components making up this type of armour can be seen in this illustration taken from a military manual.